Day 39: Tillamook to Willamina, Over the Coastal Range

August 9, 2015

Notes:

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2.) Climbing Today: 1,336 ft -- Total So Far; 91,060 ft

3.) Average Speed While Biking Today: 10.5 mph

4.) Mechanical Issues Today: none

5.) Miles Traveled to Date on This Half of the Journey: 70

6.) Miles Remaining to Canon City: Approximately 1,930

Got up at 4:30 this morn. That's later than I planned to sleep, but I was up late packing panniers and such and only got 6 hours sleep. I had to secure the injured Hula Doll for the ride as she insisted on finishing this adventure.

The Hula Doll is Injured and Has to Take This Half Laying Down, Thanks to FEDEX.

Traffic on 101 in Tillamook was crazy last night. But my early morning start solved that problem today and I had the road mostly to myself. I stopped at a C-store and got my usual 1/2 cup of coffee (that's all I drink when I'm biking; at other times I'm a coffee fanatic and drink several cups a day). The road out of town was flat and there was no traffic, so I cycled on and drank the coffee while I was riding; that's a first for me. Fog had rolled in from the ocean, and made things quite surrealistic. It did give me a chill, so I donned the wind jacket. In addition to my taillight, I used the blinker for better visibility to approaching drivers. Here are a few fog shots;

What's this? A barn symbol that is similar to the quilt symbols on barns in Virginia and Kentucky.

Barn Symbol, Similar to the Barn/Quilt Symbols I Saw in Virginia/Kentucky.

Gigantic roosters lurked alongside the road.

As I Was Shooting These Roadside Roosters, a Real Rooster Crowed Behind Them.

My route along 101 is a Blue Star Memorial Highway.

Route 101 is a Blue Star Memorial Highway

I saw quite a few beautiful streams today. Here are a couple;

The Flowing Lines of Water are Created by Using a Very Slow Shutter Speed.

The sun rose a bit too quickly and got bright before I could capture the optimum moment. I shot several pictures from my bicycle today. I just let the camera hang from my neck and took a quick snap as I rolled past. Seems as though the fire danger is high.

Fire Danger is High. I Had No Idea How Prophetic This Warning Was...

At the time I took the above pic I had no idea what an ominous warning this was; but no spoilers, you will have to continue reading to eventually see what I mean. The forests were lush, but the grass underneath was brown. This area gets a lot of rain in the Spring, fall, and winter, but virtually none in the summer. So I suppose I got "lucky" when I was rained on yesterday. I had hoped to stop at a fruit stand and get my "second breakfast," but that wasn't in the cards today.

How Disappointing That They Aren't Yet Open! Strawberry Shortcake for Breakfast Sounds Great.

The countryside was really quite beautiful, with peaceful farm scenery abundant. Since I promised no more fog shots today, this isn't a fog shot; the fog just happens to be a background component, that's all.

Peaceful Farm. This Isn't a Fog Shot, the Fog is Just a Background Component.

What is this white flower? They appeared alongside the roadside near Beaver.

Second breakfast was not what I wanted, but a convenience store sandwich had to do. Here I am at a C-store where I had a microwave-it-yourself breakfast sandwich;

"Second Breakfast" Stop Today Consisted of a Convenience Store Sandwich.

This made me smile;

I headed up the mountains at Hebo, traveling in the Siuslaw Forest.

I'm Heading up the Pacific Coastal Range and Into the Forest

The road was uphill for 14 miles, but it was a gentle grade.

The Road Was Uphill for 14 Miles, But the Grade was Gentle.

Several RVs passed me as I was traveling through the forest. The Phat Pholks traveling in these gigantic steel boxes pulling trailers with SUVs with canoes on top don't have a clue what real adventure is. "Camping" in an RV; that's OK I guess if you can't do anything else. They pollute the air I breathe, and the inexperienced drivers piloting these massive rigs give me cause for alarm. As much as possible I try to stay out of their way. Maybe some day if I ever get old and feeble I will - wait, no way, it ain't happening. Sorry for the off-topic rant, back to the regularly scheduled program now. I'm a poor Geologist to not know what this is, but I only had time for a quick photo taken from across the road.

Quick Shot From Across the Road; Basalt?

The forest provided lots of shade.

Old Growth Trees Were Common With Diameters of 3 Feet or More

This summit wasn't very difficult. I'm afraid it's going to get a lot harder in the days ahead.

Only 672 Feet? In 3 Days I Have to Climb McKenzie Pass, More Than 6 Times as Much Elevation Gain. Not Sure That I'm Ready for That Yet...

Seems as though idiots with guns are everywhere. Notice the summit sign behind me in the above pic is bullet riddled. Shooting a gun alongside a highway just isn't very smart. It does make me feel as though I'm back home in Oklahoma, for what perverted comfort that brings.

The last 2 days of travel and rush to assemble the bike and get rolling have deprived me of sleep. That and poor food intake while traveling finally caught up to me after the summit. The shade was less on the downhill run, and I found myself feeling a bit nauseous and out of whack. A stop for an off bike rest and a couple bites of powerbar seemed to do the trick; that and a Tylenol sinus pill to help with my plugged-up ears. Approaching Willamina I met these folks;

Sara, Andrew, and Bob are Finishing Their Transcontinental Crossing

They are almost done with their coast-to-coast journey; how great it must feel! On the outskirts of Willamina I encountered the largest pile of logs I have ever seen.

Now That's a Pile of Wood. Logging is a Major Industry.

A shower at the hostel, followed by about 20 minutes of rest and some great food at the Wildwood restaurant brought me back to life. As I was eating, in walked one of the Dutch cyclists I had met way back in Hindman, KY! Her husband was outside, and we all enjoyed catching up. Here they are;

Chance Encounter With Gerda & Teun, Dutch Cyclists I Met in May in Hindman, KY - What are the Odds?

They have completed their crossing, and have already been to the ocean. Now they are cycling to Portland to fly back home. What an amazing coincidence that we should meet up in Wilamena! The hostel is quite nice, and so far I'm the only resident tonight.

Harvey Enjoys the Hostel. It's Clean and Adequate for 3-4 Cyclists at a Time (it can sleep 6, but where would all the bikes go?)

I plan on an early departure tomorrow morning, but first I'm going to take advantage of the hotel's laundry facilities (the hotel is ran by the same folks who operate the hostel). Got to go folks, good night...

Today's ride: 52 miles (84 km)
Total: 2,367 miles (3,809 km)

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